Within the heart of Rye Creative Centre in a sunny classroom that backs on to the old school field is a hidden gem called The Studio. It’s a vibrant and happy day care setting for artists with disabilities.
It was opened in 2018 by Jenny Edbrooke with a vision of providing a professional art studio for neurodiverse artists or people with disabilities, who want support and a friendly atmosphere in which to create any project they can conjure up.
With a trusted team of volunteers, Jenny guides and encourages artists to explore new mediums or develop their skills and hobbies so that each day is full of fun.
An artist herself, Jenny says no two days at The Studio are the same. “It’s about what we CAN achieve instead of what we can’t. It depends on the mood of the artist or what’s going on in our world as to what project we work on, in which way, what music we listen to and when we take tea or lunch breaks. We are very person-centred and only have a few artists here each day so that each individual can have a calm and supportive atmosphere in which to do their art.”
She says The Studio is wonderfully therapeutic. “We are like a family, where we all look out for each other and learn from each other’s conditions and abilities. It’s really a very special and unique setting. We are lucky enough to have a beautiful garden and allotment area at The Studio which offers us so much seasonal inspiration with our artwork, and gives us the opportunity to connect with nature and get our hands in the soil.”
The Studio is part of the community of 35 artists who make up Rye Creative Centre, something Jenny says is vital to it’s success. “It is so valuable to us all at The Studio as it adds to the fun, socialising and skills that we can all share. We are all hoping that when it’s time for our building to be developed into much needed housing, we will be all able to continue our rich creative practices at another venue… as yet to be confirmed.”
If you know somebody who might like to come to The Studio, give Jenny a call on 07743 424438 to chat about how they can join up and what funding might be available. Alternatively join next weekend’s open studio on Friday, May 16 (5pm – 8pm) or Saturday, May 17 to see is on offer and to take a glimpse at how the varied artists create the work that they do.
www.thestudio-jennyedbrooke.com
Image Credits: Jenny Edbrooke .
Such great work Jenny!
Beautiful Jenny, ‘The Studio’ nurtures talent, dreams and hope. What we all need